Through the Eyes of a Nobody: Hayden's Story
by anonymous the monster
Summary: You think you've seen Harry Potter? Well not through the eyes of Hayden St. James, you haven't. Follow book one with Hayden thrown in the mix. Nothing has really changed much we just get to see the point of view of someone else for a change.
1. Introduction

**To whom it may concern :: I apologize in advance for, not exactly ruining Harry Potter [as this is ], but for... well... okay I feel like I'm ruining the books. But, hey, this is my fanfiction so I can do what I want [within the guidelines and reason, of course]! Here we go with the I don't own anything good about this story just that [hopefully] ordinary and boring Hayden character. I tried to make her as un-Mary Sue-ish as _I _could.**

**Enjoy.**

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><p>For Hayden St. James, living on Danglars [pronounced Don-glar] Road, the road behind Privet Drive, had always seemed cliche to her. She was the girl next door. Of course Harry Potter was appealing to her, he was the attractive boy who lived! Who didn't fall in love the moment they met him? The first time <em>she <em>had met him was before Harry Potter was aware that he was a wizard. It was so hard not to tell him, her parents told her to trust Headmaster Dumbledore and, of course, she did. So she had grown up with the boy and it was exhausting trying to get to him! Every time she tried to just say 'hi' to Harry in primary school Dudley and his gang got in her way and chased after Harry for sport or tried to convince her to hang out with Piers. Yeah right, the kid had the face of a rat! Not to mention he was part of Dudley's gang and held Harry while Dudley attacked him. She swore that she'd pick him first if she was ever chosen as a captain for gym, but she never was considering the fact that she was lousy at that stuff. There was the time she tried to peek over the Dursley's hedge to introduce herself but she just stared from her window, trying to muster up courage until he had finished his work in the Dursley's backyard garden and went inside to do more outrageous things that the Dursley's had asked -or rather told- him to do. And the one day he ended up on the roof of the school kitchens, she was seconds away from approaching him but her backpack was hit by a kickball and all her things fell out, papers flying in a sudden gust of wind. Just her luck, right?

Her parents didn't even like the Dursleys. When Hayden was about two years old, she had stubbornly refused food and naps when one of her favorite toys had been taken away. It only happened once but of course Mrs. Dursley had gotten her hands dirty and treated the news like gossip. Anna St. James immediately regretted saying anything the moment the words left her lips. To the St. James parents, the garden hedges kept Hayden safer from the cruelty of all the neighbors, they were about as Muggle-ish as you could get, and because Hayden's parents were very careful with their only child, almost _over_protective. So why did the St. James family live here? Same reason for Mrs. Figg, living around here, to keep Harry Potter safe. Anna and Peter St. James were one of the best aurors the Ministry had out there but this was a mission directly from the Order of the Phoenix. They used to be a part of the crowd but after having Hayden, they had decided to drop out. As much as they wanted to resist, they couldn't endanger their little girl. Things changed when the Potters were attacked. Anna and Lily were pretty close in their last year of school. Lily was Anna's best friend and Anna was only one of the many of Lily's friends. Peter's heart went out to Harry but he still attempted putting his foot down when Dumbledore asked for the St. James' help to protect Harry. As noble as Hayden's father could be, Hayden and Anna were his world and he didn't want that endangered, even if it seemed, You-Know-Who was gone for good. Anna had gently placed her hand on his arm and with one look at his wife he knew that she was right and this was going to happen. So the family picked up and moved to Little Whinging, Surrey. They arrived within a week of Harry's own unexpected arrival.

Hayden was nearly eleven when she had gotten her letter; August twenty-sixth was her birthday. Her father had taken her to Diagon Alley on the first of August and Hayden had received all that she had needed and more. The and more was some Drooble's Best Blowing Gum and, for her birthday, a brand new, brown and white northern saw-whet owl. He was the most beautiful creature she'd ever laid eyes on and immediately she knew his name, Charles. Of course she made him go by Charlie, though.

All that day under the sunshine that made the crooked cobblestone sidewalk almost glint, she had eagerly searched for her black hair, green eyed classmate but he was nowhere to be found. When her father had asked her about it early on she told him she was just so excited to get her things for Hogwarts, later that night, though, she had admitted that she wanted to talk to Harry now that he had full knowledge of his being a wizard. Her father, however, seemed relieved they hadn't run into him and he explained that the day Harry went out, the very morning before this, Harry didn't even know he was a wizard. Then he said something about it being complicated and not wanting Hayden to be the one to tell Harry about his past. Peter almost knew for a fact that Harry hadn't but was pretty sure that Hagrid would be the one to bring Harry up to speed. Still, he wanted to make sure that Harry knew everything he should before Hayden attempted to talk to Harry about anything. When he got the okay from Dumbledore and told Hayden she could talk to Harry if she found him outside alone again, she eagerly waited for him to come out and water the hedges or pull weeds or _something_. Unfortunately, Harry spent almost all of August inside the Dursley's home.

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><p><strong>Love, Allison<strong>** :: ****There was the introduction, hope I didn't leave anything too important out of the story and I hope it made enough sense for whomever is reading this to understand.**


	2. Chapter One

Before the birds even thought about waking up to begin their morning song, Hayden jumped out of bed. Her silky nightgown sleeve had left marks on her cheek where she had been laying on it and her plain, straight brown hair that was a little longer than shoulder length was still a bit damp from the bath she had taken the night before. She rubbed the sleep from her twinkling brown eyes and ran into the bathroom across the hall. The first thing she did was brush out the knots and tangles in her hair that came from her rolling all over the bed at night. Her heart was thumping hard against her ribcage. Today was the day! Hayden would be sorted and then she would get to learn some _actual_ magic! She couldn't hide her smile; it was so big her cheeks actually hurt. Looking over her appearance it was clear she was not the athletic type. Her heart-shaped face was almost rounded and she was a bit over average size and weight. She was definitely average height, though; not too tall, not too short. The eleven year old tried to keep from running back to her room since it dawned on her halfway through brushing her hair that the longer she took doing things now, the less time she'd have to sit around anxiously and that meant her time of worry would be shorter as well. Without meaning to, she rushed to pull on her favorite straight leg blue jeans with a small flower stitched by the pocket. Hayden also put on a plain, three quarter sleeve, white blouse. Slowing herself down again, she checked, double checked, and even triple checked her trunk until the sun had finally risen and her parents woke.

Anna asked Hayden how she wanted her hair done while Peter ran to town to the bakery across from Grunnings so he could pick up some muffins for breakfast. It was a special day, after all. Peter came home to find that his wife had dressed herself and put their daughter's hair into a short French braid. The little girl's bangs came to just under her eyebrows which meant his wife must have also given them a quick trim. Her father handed Hayden a blueberry muffin as she sat down next to her mother. He had pulled three glasses down from the cabinets.

"Milk, Baby Bird?" he asked Hayden. 'Baby bird' was her child nickname. Some kids were 'honey,' others were 'angel.' Baby bird just happened to be Hayden's father's nickname for her.

"Daaad." She obviously thought that she was too old to be called that now.

"I'm sorry _Hayden_." He tried again, "would you like some milk sweetheart, Hayden, light of my life?"

Rolling her eyes but unable to hide her little half smile she answered, "just some water, please."

"Same here," her mother chimed in.

The morning dragged on _forever_, or so it seemed for Hayden. When they finally got in the car, her mother put in one of her favorite cassettes and the family sang and sang on the way to King's Cross. That didn't halt her nerves completely but at least the songs took her mind off of how the sorting would take place. How _did_ it take place? Her mother had mentioned something about the 'Sorting Hat' but she was never curious enough to ask and now she was too frightened to ask.

When they had arrived to the site of her departure, Hayden's heart picked up speed again. Her nervousness turned into a kind of sickness. It was still ten o'clock; that sick feeling of joy but fearful, intrigued but cautious, would have to last a whole hour! Hayden didn't have to wonder why they were there so early. The girl was really smart and aware of her surroundings. Judging by the fact that Mr. Dursley's car was still in the driveway when they left the house, Harry wasn't there yet and her mother and father would choose a side of the barrier and make sure the boy would make the first of the seven years on the train. Of course they would _just_ be observing unless Harry really did need help, Dumbledore asked them to remain in the shadows as much as possible so that he didn't know they were partly there to watch over him. There was the chance that he would have been brought by someone like Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper that kept coming up into the conversations of her parents, but even so, they would still be here and by eleven o'clock they would have found him at least twice, before and after he got on the train. It was their job.

Hayden's mother picked up her daughter's heavy trunk and shoved it onto a cart. Hayden helped by pulling Charles out of the seat beside her in the back of the car and placing him safely on top of the trunk. The girl noticed her father had disappeared, and could therefore assume he'd be the one watching out for Harry on this side of the barrier. Her father was a pretty skinny guy, the only meat on his bones being a small amount of fat, not muscle. Her mother on the other hand was a pretty good Quidditch player during her time at Hogwarts and would have only muscle on her bones, no fat. They were both witty. Anna was a quirky, athletic Gryffindor, while Peter was a tall, rather quiet Ravenclaw. As much as Hayden looked like her mother, facial-wise, her father gave her the rest: her quick-reading talent, her thirst for knowledge, and her non-muscular, slightly larger than normal frame. She was the standard Ravenclaw and so there was no doubt in her parents' minds that she would be chosen for any other house. She just hoped she wasn't in Hufflepuff. Sure, most people said Slytherin was not the way to go because they really didn't stand for good, but when it came down to it, no one wanted to be a Hufflepuff. At least that's the way Hayden saw it.

Hayden's mom spun the cart around and locked up the car before leading the girl into the station. Hayden had been to King's Cross before; she had taken the train to see her gran in Scotland. She had always been on the lookout for platform nine and three quarters but she could never find it. Her mother had to explain when Hayden finally asked loudly one day in a London shop. Her mother whispered to her that it was hidden away by magic and that she'll have to wait and see how to get onto the platform. Hayden's scared excitement rose in her chest as her mother lead her toward platforms nine and ten. Her mom stopped at one of the barriers and Hayden bit at her bottom lip, "uh, mum... where is it?"

Hayden's mother's mouth spread into a wide grin and she gave Hayden a look with her beautiful green eyes. Hayden loved her mother but sometimes they really weren't on the same level. Hayden got it, though. Her mother's look had meant watch as a boy with white-blonde hair had disappeared into the barrier with his parents right behind. Hayden blinked at her mother who left the cart in front of Hayden and disappeared into the barrier too. Just like that. One minute she was there, the next, she was gone. Giving a huge shaking sigh, the girl grabbed onto her cart, and started walking at the wall, thinking that she was being ridiculous. Then she started to jog, and finally sprint. Somehow she just knew that she was going to crash but she didn't. In fact, she learned she had closed her eyes, bracing herself for impact, when she opened them up again and saw her mother beaming there. "Please, mum, next time don't leave me!"

"Relax, you know that you've got to—"

"Yes, yes, I've got to figure things out for myself."

"After all, you're going to be in Ravenclaw."

"What if I'm not?"

"You'll be brilliant no matter what house you're in, Hayden," her mother said leaning down and kissing her daughter's forehead. "Let's move, now before we get trampled by the next wizarding family."

Hayden understood immediately, they were still in front of the barrier. Smiling at her mother she rolled her eyes, "yeah, that would be a good idea."

**Love, Allison :: Clearly Hayden thinks ****Hufflepuffs are a bunch of 'duffers' but honestly, I love every house, EVEN Hufflepuff. Pottermore declared me a Gryffindor back in August**** 2011**** and I see the fit in me. I have always wished I've had enough wit to be in Ravenclaw, though.**


End file.
